A Hot Topic: Cancer Immunotherapy and Natural Killer Cells

Abstract

Despite significant progress in recent years, the therapeutic approach of the multiple different forms of human cancer often remains a challenge. Besides the well-established cancer surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, immunotherapeutic strategies gain more and more attention, and some of them have already been successfully introduced into the clinic. Among these, immunotherapy based on natural killer (NK) cells is considered as one of the most promising options. In the present review, we will expose the different possibilities NK cells offer in this context, compare data about the theoretical background and mechanism(s) of action, report some results of clinical trials and identify several very recent trends. The pharmaceutical industry is quite interested in NK cell immunotherapy, which will benefit the speed of progress in the field.

Between good and evil: Complexation of the human cathelicidin LL-37 with nucleic acids

“…The presented data suggest that the combination of DNA subunits with LL-37 may lead to the control of ovarian tumors through the activation of innate immunity. Evidence that LL-37-DNA complexes cause an increase in the number of NK cells within a biological system is in itself significant, because NK cells not only clear infectious agents ( 47 ) and have antimicrobial properties ( 48 ), but they also are critical immune cells in the fight against cancer and have recently been explored as a new therapeutic alternative to T cell-based approaches ( 49 ).…”

Comparação entre a eficácia da imunoterapia e da viroterapia oncolítica no tratamento do câncer hematológico: síntese de evidências

“…Um dos mais recentes avanços na imunoterapia é a utilização de células NK como protagonistas do processo, resultando nas células CAR-NK (MICHEL et al, 2022). Essas células apresentam vantagens em seu uso, como por exemplo: evitam a síndrome de liberação de citocinas e neurotoxidade; são produzidas por múltiplas fontes (células mononucleares de sangue periférico, sangue de cordão umbilical e células tronco pluripotente induzidas) e apresentam melhor resposta contra tumores sólidos (XIE et al, 2020).…”

Development of FAP-Targeted Chimeric Antigen Receptor NK-92 Cells for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

“…Natural killer (NK) cells, belonging to cytotoxic lymphocytes, can identify and kill transformed cells without pre-sensitization. Moreover, the infiltration of NK cells into tumors reflects raised overall survival in tumor sufferers [10,11]. NK cells offer a first line of defense in their ability to link and coordinate innate and 'downstream' adaptive immune responses, making them an ideal platform for new cancer treatments [12].…”